Figen, 1998

Céline van Balen (1965, The Netherlands) photographs her subjects without frills or poses: a dent in a dry lip, a birthmark, a scar - everything is visible in her work. Yet her pictures always remain a subjective image, chosen by the photographer. Van Balen herself comments on this: "A picture is never a true imprint of reality. I chose this photo, it's my vision. I have control over the image."
Particularly special and appreciated is Van Balen’s series of photographs of young Muslim girls with their hijab on. The girls look at the viewer with an open gaze. While the headscarf shows that they belong to the same faith, the differences in their skin color, eye color and hair reveal the ethnic diversity within the Islamic community.